{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,24]],"date-time":"2025-12-24T10:25:08Z","timestamp":1766571908066,"version":"3.48.0"},"reference-count":35,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,23]],"date-time":"2025-12-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1766448000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Metabolites"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives:\u00a0Coleus aromaticus (Lamiaceae), also known as Cuban oregano or Indian borage, is a semi-succulent perennial species widely used in traditional medicine for its therapeutic and nutritional properties. While its essential oils and aromatic fraction have been extensively investigated, the characterization of its non-volatile metabolites remains limited. The aim of this study was to explore the chemical composition of fresh leaves with a focus on the non-volatile fraction. Methods: Fresh leaves of C. aromaticus were cryogenically treated with liquid nitrogen, ground, and subjected to three different extraction procedures: hydroalcoholic maceration, ethyl acetate maceration, and liquid\u2013liquid partitioning to obtain a dichloromethane organic phase and a hydroalcoholic phase. Extracts and fractions were analyzed by HPTLC and HPLC for metabolic profiling. In addition, the Bligh\u2013Dyer method was applied to separate polar and non-polar metabolites, which were subsequently characterized using NMR spectroscopy. Results: Chromatographic analyses highlighted the occurrence and distribution of organic acids, polyphenols (notably flavonoids), and proteinogenic amino acids. Spectroscopic data confirmed the presence of diverse polar and non-polar metabolites, providing a more detailed chemical fingerprint of C. aromaticus. This integrated approach broadened the phytochemical profile of the species beyond the well-documented essential oils. Conclusions: The results contribute to a better understanding of the non-volatile metabolites of C. aromaticus, offering novel insights into its chemical diversity. These findings highlight the potential of this plant as a valuable source of bioactive compounds, supporting its future application in nutraceutical and pharmaceutical research.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/metabo16010015","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,24]],"date-time":"2025-12-24T09:58:34Z","timestamp":1766570314000},"page":"15","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Multi-Analytical Insight into the Non-Volatile Phytochemical Composition of Coleus aromaticus (Roxb.) Benth."],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"Chiara","family":"Toniolo","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5740-6499","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Martina","family":"Bortolami","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0005-4471-8107","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Adriano","family":"Patriarca","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Chemistry, University of Rome Sapienza, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Daniela","family":"De Vita","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1982-2712","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Fabio","family":"Sciubba","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy"},{"name":"NMR-Based Metabolomics Laboratory (NMLab), Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy"},{"name":"Interdepartmental Center of Applied Sciences for the Protection of the Environment and Cultural Heritage (CIABC), Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4638-5084","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Luca","family":"Santi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,23]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"(2025, November 27). 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